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Taters from Braun, Hart pace Brewers

Braun, Hart both go deep in win

By Owen Perkins
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Special to MLB.com |

BREWERS 12, WHITE SOX 10at TucsonWednesday, March 26

Brewers at the plate: Ryan Braun hit a two-out, two-run homer to left in the first inning to give the Brewers the early lead. It was his fifth Cactus League homer. Corey Hart added a solo shot to left leading off the second, and Rickie Weeks plated two runs with a triple to center in the fourth, then scored on a Tony Gwynn single. Gabe Gross had a pair of singles in three trips to the plate, Michael Brantley was 2-for-2 with a double and Jason Kendall was 2-for-2 and was hit by a pitch, getting on base in each of his three plate appearances.

White Sox at the plate: Rookie Alexei Ramirez knocked the first pitch he saw into the right-field bullpen for a two-out grand slam in the second inning. Jim Thome hit a pair of round-trippers in subsequent at-bats, a two-run shot to left in the third and a two-run jack into the trees beyond the right-field bullpen in the fifth. Brewers center fielder Gabe Kapler pulled in another Thome bomb with a leaping catch against the center-field fence. A.J. Pierzynski hit a solo shot onto the lawn beyond the center-field fence in the fourth.

Brewers on the mound: Ben Sheets struggled for the Brewers, giving up four home runs in five innings, with all nine runs against him coming via the long ball. Derrick Turnbow and Guillermo Mota each pitched perfect innings in the sixth and seventh, respectively.

White Sox on the mound: Gavin Floyd had one clean inning in the third and struck out seven in five innings, but he struggled throughout his start. Floyd allowed six runs on nine hits and a hit batsman. Scott Linebrink and Mike MacDougal pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh, but Octavio Dotel endured a three-error eighth inning, allowing four runs (two earned) on two hits, a walk and a hit batsman.

Cactus League records: Brewers 17-10-2; White Sox 10-17-3.

Up next for the White Sox: The White Sox close out the Arizona portion of their exhibition season when they host a 2:05 p.m. CT game against the D-backs on Thursday. In a battle for the final spot on the roster, right-hander Nick Masset will start for the Sox with right-hander Ehren Wassermann also scheduled to pitch. Dan Haren will climb the hill for the D-backs.

Up next for the Brewers: Don't expect to see any members of Milwaukee's Opening Day pitching staff in Thursday's 2:05 p.m. CT game against the Cubs, the finale of the Arizona portion of Spring Training for both clubs. They meet again on Monday at Wrigley Field to open the season, and Brewers manager Ned Yost does not want to give the Cubs any unnecessary looks at his pitchers. Even on Wednesday afternoon, Yost wasn't sure who Minor League camp coordinator Charlie Greene was planning to send over to pitch Thursday.

Owen Perkins is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.